Mark Slapinski

00:00:00.000 People are worried about the same thing they were worried about last year and the year before, a lack of affordability.

00:00:05.860 Carney is in big trouble because his puppets at CTV randomly decided to turn on him and ask the million-dollar question,

00:00:13.020 does Carney have a plan to deal with the affordability crisis?

00:00:16.580 And you can guess what the answer to that question was.

00:00:19.040 Now, the segment starts off with CTV doing what it normally does and giving undue praise to the prime minister.

00:00:25.180 Listen to this.

00:00:25.800 What are the political implications of Trump's latest threat, particularly ahead of the return of the House of Commons tomorrow?

00:00:32.200 Here to weigh in is our Sunday strategy session.

00:00:34.820 Kathleen Monk is former director of communications to the late Jack Layton.

00:00:38.540 James Moore is a former conservative cabinet minister.

00:00:41.400 And Scott Reid is former communications director to Prime Minister Paul Martin.

00:00:45.120 Hi, everybody.

00:00:46.120 Good to see you on this Sunday.

00:00:47.300 I appreciate you making the time.

00:00:48.540 Scott, I'll start with you.

00:00:50.360 The prime minister stopped to talk to reporters today, didn't engage too much on any communications with Trump,

00:00:55.240 just kind of downplayed actually how significant whatever happened with China was.

00:01:00.720 What does that tell you?

00:01:02.020 And how big of a deal do you think this is politically for him?

00:01:06.400 Well, it's significant.

00:01:07.800 But I liked I thought the prime minister's tone was bang on inappropriate because Donald Trump is a presidential equivalent of a metal spoon in the microwave these days.

00:01:20.440 He's sparking and lighting up all over the place.

00:01:22.580 It's not just Canada.

00:01:23.840 He unloaded 70 true social postings.

00:01:26.940 So he's lashing out at everyone.

00:01:28.340 We have to take serious his posting and his suggestion that he may oppose a 100 percent across-the-board terrorist.

00:01:35.940 But I'm not sure that it is a serious threat.

00:01:38.300 And in that context, taking a bit at a time, pointing out that Canada is not negotiating a free trade agreement with China, as Minister LeBlanc did,

00:01:46.400 pointing out, as the prime minister did, that there would be severe downsides to Donald Trump actually taking that kind of action.

00:01:52.820 Imagine the increase in the price of gas at the pump for Americans.

00:01:58.540 So taking a breath, not panicking, just being steady and sensible seems to me to be the right play at this moment,

00:02:06.780 particularly as you look at the broader context with how Donald Trump is conducting himself,

00:02:11.620 the isolation he's experiencing internationally, and the divisions he's provoking domestically.

00:02:15.840 Yeah, it's interesting because on the face of it, when you see a threat like that from a U.S. President, James, to Scott's point,

00:02:23.620 you have to take it seriously.

00:02:24.640 At the same time, we're just a few months, you know, a few weeks out from the last tariff threat of an additional 10 percent that Trump levied against us,

00:02:31.960 which was supposed to come because of that Ronald Reagan ad and then was, like, never spoken of again.

00:02:37.220 An important point that you just made.

00:02:39.200 Donald Trump has threatened three times more tariffs than he's actually ever imposed.

00:02:42.740 So the keep calm, carry on prose of the prime minister is the appropriate response.

00:02:48.680 You know, you can't react to everything Donald Trump says and does, but you do have to respond as a nation.

00:02:55.280 And the prime minister obviously had a very good moment in Davos to the point where you have Pierre Polyev for the first time,

00:03:00.740 I think, ever praising a sitting liberal prime minister because Pierre Polyev recognizes the moment

00:03:05.680 and the prime minister seems to recognize the moment coming out of his cabinet retreat,

00:03:09.540 that it's time to pivot and move forward and not be, you know, be disappointed, be internally angry, be publicly stoic.

00:03:16.760 And then when parliament comes back and as we move forward, there's never been a bigger barn door open for the prime minister of this country

00:03:22.660 with a union of solidarity behind him that is nonpartisan to go forward and do big things and be significant about that.

00:03:31.100 You know, the Super Bowl is around the corner a couple of weeks away.

00:03:33.480 We're supposed to have these sort of installments of major projects across the country.

00:03:37.200 There's a moment here for the prime minister to do something really significant and show Canadians that we are united

00:03:42.260 and we're doing big things as a country.

00:03:44.920 You know, it will be a really interesting, it feels like Kathleen returned to parliament tomorrow

00:03:49.580 for exactly the reason that James lays out.

00:03:52.020 The opportunity for the government is massive.

00:03:54.740 And to the point about Pierre Polyev, like, there's a ton of rhetoric from the opposition,

00:03:59.420 including the conservatives actually at this moment, about advancing those priorities together,

00:04:04.600 which is not something, to be honest, that, like, on any side, you normally hear ahead of a return to parliament,

00:04:10.960 like, at least not in the last little while.

00:04:12.980 And it speaks to the change in tone and what's needed, right?

00:04:16.160 And that tone shift for the conservatives is remarkable, that they're willing to cooperate,

00:04:20.520 possibly do joint negotiations with the U.S.

00:04:22.960 But what I found interesting from this morning and the prime minister was really the pushback that he got from one journalist.

00:04:28.760 He got basically one question put to him this morning, and it was,

00:04:31.360 how do you mortgage Canadians' affordability because you've angered Trump?

00:04:35.720 And bringing it back to those key issues that Canadians care about, about, like, how people are struggling day to day.

00:04:41.340 And Wob Canoo said it best in your last interview, which was just like,

00:04:45.180 he's got to do all the things at all the time, Prime Minister Carney.

00:04:47.960 He's got to deal with the affordability threats, the political threats,

00:04:50.900 and the electoral instability that the minority is, and then also deal with the geopolitical stuff.

00:04:56.720 But I think what was fascinating is that he did say this morning, the prime minister,

00:05:00.980 that there would be some affordability measures coming soon.

00:05:04.140 So what are they? Are they on the agenda?

00:05:06.060 How does he deal with the conservatives' pushback on affordability, immigration, crime?

00:05:10.020 Can he solve those political challenges so if there is an election,

00:05:13.600 the liberals are poised to do better or at least answer that big question of affordability on the problem?

00:05:18.300 We've seen them cut taxes in the past. Will they do more in the future?

00:05:21.200 And here's the part where Vashley decides to break ranks of the liberals and ask the million-dollar question.

00:05:26.180 Now, before I show you this, I want to remind you I'm being heavily censored on YouTube.

00:05:29.640 If you see this part of the video, let me know in the comment section.

00:05:32.820 Give me a like. Make sure you're still subscribed.

00:05:35.580 And as a bonus, let me know what city you're coming from.

00:05:37.900 I always like to know where people are coming from.

00:05:40.360 All right. Let's watch Vashley do her back. 1.00

00:05:42.980 Yeah. To what degree, Scott, do you think there needs to be like something tangible on that front?

00:05:48.140 I know we're all consumed at this sort of esoteric level with everything going on with the United States

00:05:52.280 and moral clarity and all those things.

00:05:54.440 But like people are worried about the same thing they were worried about last year and the year before,

00:05:59.740 a lack of affordability.

00:06:00.840 I'm not sure now is the exact moment where we need to just, you know, stencil a check and send it to every household.

00:06:07.240 I don't know that that's the appropriate response.

00:06:09.260 I think giving voice to the concerns that people have, making certain that Canadians don't watch the prime minister,

00:06:15.960 see how he's involved in these discussions, both internationally and across the border with Donald Trump,

00:06:21.420 and worry that maybe the prime minister and the government have forgotten about the daily struggles that people are experiencing.

00:06:26.740 Scott Reid just said it right there.

00:06:28.360 He was gentle with his words.

00:06:29.860 He was careful with his words.

00:06:31.640 However, I don't get paid by CTV.

00:06:33.460 I don't get paid by the liberals.

00:06:34.960 So I can say things a little bit more directly than he can.

00:06:38.360 Carney has been so busy globetrotting and virtue signaling

00:06:41.400 that he's forgotten that Canadians have very real issues in Canada.

00:06:45.560 The liberals don't have a plan to deal with the affordability crisis.

00:06:48.580 And even if they say they do, it's definitely not a very good one.

00:06:52.780 Carney's not too big on affordability.

00:06:54.900 That's his weakness.

00:06:56.300 That's his kryptonite.

00:06:57.860 And conservatives with Polyev, they dominate in that area.

00:07:01.020 The only thing keeping the liberals alive right now is Trump.

00:07:04.340 That was their main selling point for their last election.

00:07:06.880 And unfortunately, it worked quite well for them.

00:07:09.160 However, once Canadians realize that Carney is not living up to the expectations he set in dealing with Trump,

00:07:14.260 and that her economy is getting worse and not better,

00:07:16.540 they're going to start turning on the liberals.

00:07:18.720 And that's when the conservatives are going to win.

00:07:20.800 You've got to make certain that you connect all of this instability that stems from Trump

00:07:24.840 with the challenges that people are feeling and with your policy remedies.

00:07:28.900 But I don't know that they need to do something in the immediate term, again, in a panicky way.

00:07:33.200 And that really is not the recipe the prime minister tends to follow.

00:07:37.740 I think more important than anything, we shouldn't underestimate the connection that Canadians themselves make

00:07:44.300 between Donald Trump's erraticism and their own economic situation.

00:07:49.080 I do think Canadians lay this at the feet of Donald Trump.

00:07:53.140 And that's why it was smart of Pierre Polyev to ignore all those conservatives who are jamming the pages of the National Post

00:07:59.800 with numbskull commentary, trying to align themselves and, you know, say, ah, you know, actually, Trump's right.

00:08:05.160 That is not the play that Pierre Polyev supported.

00:08:07.620 He knows that that is electoral disaster.

00:08:10.520 And instead saying we've got to chart a similar course.

00:08:14.440 I've got 30 seconds left for both—30 seconds for James and 30 seconds for Kathleen.

00:08:18.760 James, what do you think about that?

00:08:20.500 I think that's exactly right.

00:08:21.960 One of the reasons Donald Trump's domestic support is cratering is because he's talking about golden domes and Greenland and Nobel Prizes.

00:08:28.980 The prime minister of this country and Pierre Polyev, who aspires to be the prime minister of this country,

00:08:33.180 needs to focus on the things that Canadians care about and not get sidetracked.

00:08:36.980 The difference between us and the United States is that the cost of living crisis, if you're an autoworker,

00:08:41.240 Donald Trump is your cost of living crisis because he's threatening your job.

00:08:44.420 So these two things are not actually mutually exclusive.

00:08:46.760 They're combined.

00:08:47.360 If you farm canola on the prairies, access to that Chinese market is a job issue and it is a cost of living issue.

00:08:54.560 So focus on the horizon.

00:08:56.600 Keep selling products to the world.

00:08:58.240 Don't get bullied by Donald Trump and Canada first.

00:09:00.800 That should be the ethos for everybody.

00:09:03.480 I'll crystallize it in one line. 0.54

00:09:05.380 Americans are watching as President Trump chooses to kidnap and kill his own citizens as opposed to lowering prices.

00:09:11.420 Canadians are watching that in horror and want our government to chart a new path and a new way forward.

00:09:17.540 It's funny how the CTV panel is saying exactly what I've been saying.

00:09:21.320 Polyev is playing the game like a true chess master because the best move he can make right now is to separate himself from Donald Trump.

00:09:27.900 Aligning himself with Donald Trump would be political suicide.

00:09:30.400 And I applied Polyev for doing the right thing and not listening to the more radical elements of his base.

00:09:36.420 Canadians deserve a more efficient government.

00:09:38.700 They deserve lower income taxes, immigration reform. 1.00

00:09:42.100 And those are all things that Polyev can deliver on.

00:09:44.540 And when I say immigration reform, I don't mean what Donald Trump is doing in the United States.

00:09:48.940 The whole world, including myself, was rightfully horrified when they saw an ICU nurse being shot in broad daylight.

00:09:57.020 And if you don't think that's what happened, I encourage you to watch the video in slow motion.

00:10:01.940 Don't listen to other people's interpretations because they're lying, they're gaslighting.

00:10:05.580 Just watch the video and see what happened to yourself.

00:10:08.080 Trump is really on a collision course.

00:10:09.920 And if he keeps up this bad behavior, he's all but guaranteed to lose the midterms.

00:10:13.780 Now, I understand a lot of my followers, they're on Team Trump.

00:10:16.600 However, I'm not on Team Trump.

00:10:18.040 I'm on Team Canada and Team Polyev.

00:10:21.000 I still have faith that Polyev is going to win and her country is going to get back on track.

00:10:25.260 It's just going to take a little bit more time than I previously thought.

00:10:28.380 So just hang in there.

00:10:29.720 Have some faith.

00:10:30.700 We're going to win.

00:10:31.820 Talk to you soon, Patriots.

CTV Panelists SLAM Carney Over Affordability Concerns

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